New sh48bn Uganda Railways locomotives breakdown

In 2022 there was public uproar over newly acquired locomotives by the Uganda Railways Corporation.

URC imported four-six-year-old refurbished locomotives from Grindrod South Africa at about Shs48bn.

There were allegations that the locomotives were not compatible with the kind of rails in Uganda.

URC dismissed these allegations and instead revealed that two of the locomotives had been deployed on the Malaba-Tororo- Jinja area, the third on the Kampala-Malaba route, while the fourth on the Kampala -Namanve passenger service.

However, information from a whistleblower indicates that of the four locomotives bought in 2021, only two are functional.

Those working are locomotive 9802—the only locomotive ferrying load between Tororo and Kampala—and locomotive 9804 currently used by Spanish Group Imathia Construction which is refurbishing the railway line between Namanve and Mukono.

The whistleblower further reveals that even when the two locomotives (9802 and 9804) are currently operational, it does not take away the fact that they are powerful big haulage locomotives that aren’t recommended for line repair works, but the URC is reportedly stuck due to non availability of smaller locomotives that are recommended for such small haulages.

Information further obtained indicates that the third locomotive-9803 recently experienced a major mechanical failure and is now being cannibalized for spares in Nalukolongo-Kampala to run the rest of the locomotives.

The fourth one-9801 also reportedly has mechanical failure and is currently in Jinja awaiting repairs.

Experts say the major challenges with these locomotives is that they were brought without critical spares like traction motors and the maintenance staff in Uganda Railways were never properly taken through proper maintenance procedures.

“At the purchase time URC technical people like the Engineers were not involved. They were not taken for training yet they were ones to handle maintenance. Only board members and top managers frequented South Africa,” a source stressed.

URC was contacted for a comment a week ago and they are yet to respond.

However, a URC official this publication spoke to off record said this shouldn’t be a cause for concern because just like any other vehicle on the road, locomotives are not immune from breakdown.

He also disclosed to us that because their spare parts are not in Uganda, the importation process and subsequent repairs of these locomotives can even take up to six months.